Matt Lauer probably feels he’s damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.
The 55-year-old embattled TODAY co-host is now taking heat for his interview with Chris Brown on Monday’s show, with Brown’s fans angry he asked questions about the Forever singer’s infamous 2009 beating of Rihanna, and Brown’s detractors arguing he danced around the seriousness of the brutal beating by not directly referring to it.
During the discussion, Lauer asked Brown — who said “everything’s good” in his current relationship with the Umbrella singer — about “the incident in 2009″ as well as what he thought of the “cynics” who believe Brown’s abusive ways are not behind him.
Among the tweets putting down Lauer, users criticized the NBC journalist for his softball language and friendly nature toward the convicted-woman beater.
@ErinGoBawl wrote, “So the cynics and skeptics are the ones not forgiving Chris Brown for BEATING THE S**T OUR OF HIS GIRLFRIEND? Okay, cool Matt Lauer. Matt lauer: Chris Brown was charged with a felony in 2009. Quite a way to say someone beat the shit out of his girlfriend. #journalism.”
@ShaunaStuppia wrote, “F the @todayshow for having @chrisbrown an admitted abuser of women on. Disgusting. You couldn’t find anyone else on the show? Shame.”
@hairties tweeted: “You know when the Today show is desperate for viewers when they interview and sympathize with Chris Brown.”
